Button-machine.



No. umass. Pmmfm JAN. s, wm.

w. c. HoPKms & J. W. MILLER.

www Mmmm.

APPLIGATIGN FILED DEG, 118,. 191075 2 SHEETS-SEEE? l.

No. 340,939. PATENTBD JAN. s, 1907. W. c. HOPKINS@ J. W. MILLER.

BUTTON MACH-INE.

APPLIQATION FILED DEo.1s,19o5.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED `sTiifiEs PATENT OEEIOE.

VVI'LLIAM C. HOPKINS AND JOHN W. MILLER, OF MUSCA'IINE, IOWA; SAID MILLER ASSIGNOR TO THE MCKEE AN D BLIVEN BUTTON COMPANY,

OF MUSCATINE, IOWA.

BUTTON-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application iled December 18, 1905. Serial No. 292,398.

To (all, whom it m/ay concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM C. HOP- KiNs and JOHN W. MILLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Muscatine, Muscatine county, Iowa, have invented certain new -and useful Improvements in Button-Nia- This invention is an improvement in machines for making buttons, and especially designed for producing cat-eye buttons, in

which a narrow concave slit or groove 1s made in the upper surface of the-button, iii which groove the eyes are pierced.

The object of this invention-is to enable the button-blanks to be operated on while they travel by means of mechanisms whichwill iirst face or round off the surface of the button; second, 'will cut ythe cat-eye slit therein, and, third, will drill the eyes in the button at theproper points, these several operations taking place successively on each .blank as it passes through the machine, and

all the operations may be performed simultaneously on different blanks' as'they travel,

so that a plurality of buttons in differentstages of completion are undergoing operations at the Sametime, and during the passage of each blank through the machine it is converted into a finished cat-eye button;

In the preferred form of the invention the blanks and tools are arranged to travel together during the working eriods, and in the machine illustrated in the drawings the blank-carrying chucks move continuously in an orbital path while the tools oscillate in arc-shapedv paths coincident withthe path traversed by the blanks during the working operations, the tools trayeliiig with the blanks while opening thereon and then movin;` back to meet an oncoming blank and traveling therewith until their operations thereon are completed. The invention, however, is not restricted to the particular form or construction of parts illustrated in the drawings, as4 when once understood it can easily be embodied in various mechanical forms, and we therefore refer to the claims for summaries 'of the 1combinations and constructions of parts embraced in the present invention and for which protection is' desired.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken, of a complete machine embodying the several features of the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View through one of the tool-carriers. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the mechanism for depressing the tool-carrier. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating the grinding operation. trating the .cat-eye operation.

In-the drawings, 1 designates the main shaft of the machine, which is supported, preferably, in a vertical position in suitable bearings in a main frame of any suitable construction and can be rotated at an desired speed by means of a worm-whee la and worm 1b, mounted on a counter-shaft 1c, journaledon the frame and which can be driven in a'nyconvenient manner.

On shaft 1 is mounted a pairv of similar disks 2, in which ,are rotatably mounted a series of equidistant vertically-disposedchuckliolders 2a of any'suitable construction, prgvided with friction-,pulleys 2b, adapted to contact during part of their travel with the inner run of an endless belt 3, running over belt-pulleys 3a 3b, suitably supported from the main frame, the shaft 3f of pulley 3b be` ing driven by bevel-gearing 3g from the counter-shaft 1, as indicated in the drawings.

In ,each chuck-holder 2a is a blank-holding chuck 2h, which may be of any preferred kind adapted to receive and hold a button-blank B, as indicated in the drawings. As the disks 2 rotate the several chucks are moved in an orbital path to, past, and from the inner run of the belt 3, and when they come up to this belt the pulleys 2b on the chuck-holders contact the inner runol' the belt 3, which causes the chuck-holders to rotate at a hi "h speed on their own axes so long as they travel in contact with the belt. y

The chucks 2h (shown in the drawings) are ada ted to be opened when pushed upwardly in t e chuck-holders, and for this purpose a cani 1h is fixed to the inain frame in the path of the lower ends of the chucks, which strike said cam as they conne thereto and are lifted thereby as they pass thereover and open, allowing the finished buttons to be removed Figs. 7 and .8 are detail views'illus-` IOS therefrom and fresh blanks to be placed therein before the chuck-holders clear the* mounted on arshaft4, journaled in a sleeve.

.48, which 'is adjustably supported in an .arm 4b, attached to. and radiating from a sleeve5, looselysurrounding shaft l above disk 2. 4The shaft4`has -no longitudinal play in sleeve 4c,

but is provided With'a,belt-pulley 4b on its (Seev end adjacent lthe grinding-wheel 4. Fig. 2.) Sleeve 4c is preferably non-rotatable-in arm 4g, but is adjustable longitudinally thereof, so as to adjust the grinder`4 radially ofthe disk., Asshown, sleeve 4c hasa lug 4e projecting. through aislot in the side of the arm and held between two adjusting-bolts 4f, tapped through lugs 4h'on arm 4g.

l Arm 4g is referably adjustably attached to. sleeve 5 Ey means of bolts 4i, passing through slots in lugs 4j on the inner end of. said'arm and tapped into the sleeve, (see'Fig. 2,) and adjusting-bolts 4k 4m, ta ped through lugs 5a 5b on the sleeve 5, enable the arm 4g and the grinder to be adj usted vertically relative to the disks 2 and the chucks carried thereby.

an endless belt 4, running over pulley 4b up togandover guide-pulleys 4 on a bracket 4P, loose on'shaft 1, and thence to a driving-pulley4q on shaft `1, asshown in the drawings,- or by any other convenient and preferred means.

About the time the chuck begins to be ro- -tated onits own axis by means of belt 3 the grinder 4 is lowered into contact with the blank B, held by the chuck, and begins-to operate thereon. As the grinder rotates in a plane at right angles to the plane of rotation ofthe chuck the blank is very smoothly and rapidly faced, and if a grooved grinder be used., as shown, a globular face will be quickly put on the blank. It is preferable to bring the grinder and blank into gradual'contact by noving one toward the other, and this may, be accompilished either by moving the chuck and blan toward the grinder or moving the grinder toward the chuck.

As illustrated in the drawings, a collar 1d is pinned to shaft 1 above the sleeve and hason its lower'edge a series of cam-surfaces 1e,- (correspondlng 1n number to the number of chucks carried by the disks 2,) which cam-` surfaces successively act upon a push-'pin 5e, f

ywhich is confined ina guide-slot in a non-rotatable bracket 5b (which is rigidly connect- The. grinder 4 may be-rotated by means 'of and driven ed tothemainframe) and Iis interposed between -the cam-collar 1.@ and the upper end of sleeve 5,-` againstwhich the lower-end of the push-pin 5 bears,fso that as the-cam 1d rotates it pushes down pin 5", and thereby moves sleeve 5 and the parts attached thereto downward against the action of an expansion-spring .58, interposed between the lower end of sleeve 5 and the upper disk 2, and which spring tends to normally raise the sleeve 5 vand all attached parts. Thus the grinder is gradually lowered upon or against the blank and acts most'effectively thereon.

It is, however, desirable or 4necessary that the grinder travel .with theY blank during the grinding operation, and for'this' urpose aset.

of travel of the chucks, and it continues to travel therewith until push pin 5" rides over the -lowest pointof the then controlling cau-surface leon collar 1d, whereupon spring 5@ throws up the sleeve 5 and attached parts, allowing lug 4r to clear -the stud 2', and thereupon the arm 4g and sleeve 5 are swung back to first position until -lug -4lr is contacted by a succeeding stud 2', when the arm is caused to travel-with the disks 2 and chucks, as just explained. The-arm may be swung back when released .by any' suitable means. As shown, .a small beltulley 5r is attached to sleeve 5 om a pulley 3r on shaft 3f by means of a belt 5, which. belt slips on the pulleys during the positive movement of the arm 4g, but will turn the sleeve and arm back as soon as lug l4r clears the impelling-stud 2r. Thus .the chucks can travel continuously. They are rotated on their own axes during a certainpart of their travel. The grinder is adapted to mee-t the chucks about the timethey begin to rotate. and travel therewith during part'of their travel, and during such coincident travel the grinder and blank are gradually brought toward each other, so that the blank is` finished off in the desired shape IOO IlO

slee ve at a pointadj acent arm Liii-say about chuck and can operate on a-blank held thereb while the grinder 4 is operati` on a blyank held by a following chuck. (gter 4s is raised and lowered relatively to the huck just as grinder 4 is, as above described. The

grinderand cutter thus can operate sirnultaneously on different blanks, the cutter Dperating on a blank previously faced by the grinder at a preceding operation. In order that the cutter can operate properly on the blanks, however, it is necessary to stop the rotation of the chucks, and for this purpose.

just after the chucks leave the belt 3 a squared flange 2m on the chuck-holders comes into contact with a curved rail or" plate 1m, attached to the main frame, (see Figs. l and 3,) and as the squared edge of suchl collar contacts with the AHat side of the said rail the chuck-holder cannot rotate'onits axis, altnou hit can slide along the rail, land thus.

the c u'ckv is held stationary ,on its axis wlileI the cutter is operating on the blank held thereby. The cutter' therefore meets the blank, and the two are gradually brought into contact, the beveled edge of the cutter making a concave arc-shaped slit in the blank diametrieally thereof, as indicated in Fig. 8 of the drawings, giving the desired cat-- e 'e appearance thereto. The cutter is lifted c ear of the blank simultaneously with .the raising of the grinder and moves back therewith into position to take 11p-with and operate on the next blank at the pro er moment.

The operation of the cutter will e clear fromv the foregoing, and it is obvious thatv the cateye-cutting mechanism could be usefully employed apart from the grinding or drilling mechanisms. AfterI the button-blanks are faced and cat-eyed they have to be drilled, and, while these operations may be performed in other machines, we provide mechanism for drilling vthem before they are discharged from the chucks, as follows:

`The drilling mechanism.--Customarily but two eyes are drilled in cat-eye buttons, these -being drilled in line within the cat-eye slit.

Therefore two drills 6 are shown., each mounted ina spindle 6a, journaled in lower bearings attached toarms 5, fastened to sleeve 5, and

in upper bearings on arms 6b, attached to a sleeve 6, loosely surrounding shaft -1 above cam-collar 1d. The arms 6b and-5n may lbe rigidly connected bv suitable `ties 6d, so that the drill-spindles'will be kept in perfect alineare' spacedl apartthe distancebetween'v two adjacent chucks andere `separated from 'the cutter a suitabledistancmso that when" the grinder and .cutter f are operating on. blanks,` the drillsr may`l` simultaneouslyv o crate on Aother blanks@ Infthe-machine s own four blanks can vbe operatedv onfat' onetime, while at the same time'the finished buttnsare heremoved '-andqfresh blanks put into the ot er chucks. i

In; the machine shown the drills move with the inder and cutter both to and from the chuc and back and `forth,.traveling with Vthe chucks during the drilling operations and thenshifting back to"meet` the` succeeding blanks and operate thereon. fi The drill-spindles can be .rotated -by vany suitable means. As shown, pulleys 6 on the up er ends of the spindles are engaged by an en less belt fLdrivenl by a pulleyl 6'?. loosely journaled on shaft-l above the sleeve l6"', which pulley ma be rovided withasmaller 4-pulley 6i driven y a 'elt 6l from a pulley 3j on shaft 3f, as shown. l

It will be vseen that the drills meet the blanks, travel therewith, graduallydescend thereon, and perforate them as they travel and then rise clear of the blanks before the are moved back to first position. The dril s are so adjusted that the first drill cuts'one eye in the button andthe next drill cuts the second eye, and the blanks when discharged from the machine will have been faced, catveyed, and drilled.

The mechanism shown for drillin 4could be usefully employed apart from t e other mechanisms, if desired; but when the aforesaid mechanisms are combined as described a v very sim le and economical machine is produced w erein but one'feeding operation is required, whereas'if the mechanisms are put in separatemachines additional feeding operations are necessitated,with a consequent increase in cost of production of the buttons.

While the mechanisms illustrated and described for operating the grinding, cutting, and drilling tools are at presentpreferred, 1t is obvious that various changes could be made therein within' the scope of the present invention, and therefore What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is x 1f 1. In a button-machine, the combination of a rotatable blank-holder, a grinder adapted to rotate in a plane at right angles to the plane of movement of the blank-holder, means adapted to. bring the blank and grinder into. contact; and mechanism4 for travelin the blank holder and.grinder in unison uring ,the grinding operation, substantially as described.

2. In a button-machine, the combination ofa rotatable blank-holder adapted yto move orbitally in one plane, a grinder adapted to IOO rotate in a 'lane 4vat right vangles to the plane of the bl l holder, and means adapted 'to bring the blank and grinder into contact; with mechanism for travel" the 'grinder in unison with the blank-hbllicr grinding operation, and means for movin the grinder backward to starting osition -a ter each operation, substanti ly as ydescribed. f

3. In a button-machine, the combination of a blank-holder adapted to travel, .a rotar table` grinder having a/'concave grinding-surface, a reciprocatory support therefor, means adapted to bring the grinder into contact With the blank, means for rotating the blank during the grinding operation, means dor moving the grinder in unison with the blankholder during the grinding operation, and means for moving the grinder back to the starting-point ater each operation.

4. In a button-machine, thecornbination of a blank-holder adapted to travel; with a grinder, and a cat-eye cutter, adapted to successively 'operate on the bla-nk, `and moans for traveling the rinder and cat-eye .cutter with the blank-ho der during the cutting -operations. e

5. In a buttommachine, the combination of a plurality of blank-'holders adapted to travel; With a'grinder, and a cat-eye cutter adapted to successively operate on the blanks; means for moving the grinder and cat-eye cutter with the blanks during their i co eration, and means for moving the tools bac Ward to initial position aftereach operation.

6.. In a button-machine, the `combination of a pluralityl of blank-:holders adapted to travel; with a rotary grinder, and a rotary Icutter adapted to operate simultaneously -on different blanks,l and successively on the saineI blank; means for mov-ing the tools with the blanks during their cooperation, and means for moving the tools vbackward to initial position after each operation.

7. In a -button-machine, the combination of a blank-holder adapted to travel; with a grinder, a cat-eye cutter; means for moving the grinder and cutter With the blank-holder While coperatin therewith; means ior rol tating the blankolder on its axis While coacting with the rinder, means Jfor stopping the rotation of t e blank-holder While coperating With the cutter; and means for moving the Grinder and cutter back to initial position ater their operations on the blank, substantially as described.

8. In a button-machine, the combination of a blank-holder ada .ted to travel; with :a cat-eye cutter and driy ls, adapted to successively operate on the blank, and means for traveling the tools With'the blank While operating thereon/ 9. In a button-macbine, the combination of a blank-holder adapted to travel, a catseye aaneen 4 during the ing the tools to the blanks their cidenttravel, .and means for separating t'lnle' tools from theblank and moving them backsy ward to position lotter each operation. 10. In :a button-machine, the combination of a blamksholder adapted to travel; witha 'cat-eye and Idri-ills, 'adapted to succes operate on the blank.; means lfor apy l sively cutter and adapted 13o-successively preaching the toolsamd bia-nk during their operation; means for travelingthe tools Wirth the blank during their operation; means for preventing rotation of the blank while the eateye cutter V is operating thereon, and means tor separating the tools frornthe blanks and moving them backwardto initial position after 'each operation.

11. In a button-machine, the combination of a blank-holder :adapted to travel, a bhmkgrinder, a Icat-eye cutter, and drills, adapted to successively 'operate upon the. blank car ried by said holder, and means for moving the tools with .the holder during the operations on the blank.

` l2. Ina button-machr1e, the combination of a blank-holder, a blank-grinder, a cat-eye cutter, and a\ drill., adapted to successively operate upon the blwnkcarried by sai-d holder with mea-ns for advancing the tools against the blank While operating thereon, and means for separating the tools from 'the blanks and moving them backward to initial position after each operation. l

v 13. In a button-machne, the combination of a rotary main shaft, disks thereon, rotatable chuck-holders carried by said disks, chucks in said holders, a tool-carrier mounted loosely on the yshaft above the disks., a horizontal rotary shaft mounted -on said carrier adjacent the path off the chucks; a cutter on said shaft, a -cam adapted to move the said carrier to cause the vcutter to operate on blanks carried by the chucks; means tor moving the carrier so as to cause vthe cutter to :travel with the chucks lduring its operation; means for raising the carrier after each operation, and means for moving the carrier backward after each operation.

IIO

14. In a button-machine, the combination drills, substantially as described.

disks, a. rotary grinder, a rotary cat-eye .cutl ter, and rotatable drills mounted on said carrier means for rotatlng said tools. on their indivldual axes means for moving the carrier so as to travel the toolswith the chucks during the operations of the tools on theblanks g means for depressing the carrier to cause the tools to gradually descend toward the blanks during their operations thereon; means for rotating the chuck-holders while moving With the grinder; means for stopping the rotation of the chuck-holders While moving with the cat-eye cutter and With the drills; means for raising the carrier upon the co'mpletion of the operations, and means for then moving the carrier backward, substantially as described.

16. In a button-machine, the combination With a blank-holder adapted to travel; of a tool-holder comprising a rotatable shaft carrying the tool, a sleeve carrying the shaft, a movable sup ort in which said sleeve is mounted, an means for moving said suport to cause the tool to move with the blankcliolder, substantially as described.

17. In'a button-machine, the combination With a blank-holder adapted to travel; of a movable arm, a sleeve adjustably mounted in said arm, a shaft rotatably mounted in said sleeve, and a tool carried by said shaft; with means for rotating said shaft, and means for vibrating the .arm to cause the tool to move with the blank-holder during its operation on the blanks.

18. The combination of aA movable sleeve, an arm adjustably attached to said sleeve, a sleeve adjustably mounted in said arm, a shaft rotatably mounted in said sleeve, and a tool carried by said shaft; With means for rotating said shaft, and means for vibrating the arm, substantially as described.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own We aiiix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

. WILLIAM o. HOPKINS.

JOHN W. MILLER.

In presence of- HENRY JAYNE, WILLIAM R. JAYNE. 

